


A Little Goes a Long Way

by bannering



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, I Don't Even Know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 06:30:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11121762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bannering/pseuds/bannering
Summary: It was a Tumblr prompt: Reid is sick and Reader takes care of him.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I... dislike how this turned out. But, whatever. I'm posting it anyway. Enjoy, I guess.

“Reid. Go. Home."

(Y/N) was infuriated. Her coworker had been coughing and feeling queasy for the last three days, but he was still adamant about going to work. Sat in front of her, a red-nosed and sick Spencer kept trying to focus on his paperwork but was blinking slowly due to the drowsiness of the medicine he took and was having a hard time concentrating on anything.

“I will,” he said. (Y/N) laughed at his funny voice due to his sickness. The doctor frowned. “But only when everyone does. I’m fine.” The woman sat at the desk next to his rolled her eyes at his stubbornness.

“You’re such… Fine! But I’m taking you home after work, ok?," she spat, annoyed at his stubbornness. (Y/N) sighed, nervously. She did not anticipate that. She had planned her whole night, which included Netflix, popcorn and a ton of ice cream. It did not include, however, a sick friend that she definitely had to take care of now. Spencer just nodded, too high on his meds to say anything. 

\-----

“How are you feeling?” (Y/N) asked from the other side of the door while the genius was putting clothes on after taking a shower. She was carrying a tray with some warm soup she’d ordered for him, along with crackers and a lot of water. He mumbled on the other side and (Y/N) didn’t hear what he said, so she opened the door, her eyes falling to the young doctor’s uncovered chest, while he was struggling to put on a simple T shirt.

Her massive crush on him made her blush a little. Even a very sick and stubborn Spencer didn’t wash away her feelings for him. Seeing him day after day going through numerous boxes of tissue did nothing to keep away the feelings she had for him. (Y/N) was glad he was currently unable to see due to his inability to coordinate himself to put on a shirt. She chuckled lightly.

“Here, let me help you, dum-dum."

“Hey, I’ll have you know I’m a certified genius,” he muffled through the fabric. She helped him and took him to his bed, placing the covers over him and putting the tray that had been placed on the floor on top of the blanket.

“Right. A true genius would have been taking better care of himself."

“It was that stupid rain.” Spencer looked like a child, a frown and a pout taking over his whole face. (Y/N) couldn’t help laughing at him and remembering the day that had made him feel this way. 

After a group dinner at a new place near (Y/N)'s house, Spencer insisted he should walk her home. It surprised her at first, because he rarely spoke to her outside of work. He was always reticent when talking to (Y/N) at bars or restaurants while with the group, and when they were at the BAU, he'd just discuss latest cases or paperwork with her. If they were alone, well, that's when he didn't speak to her at all. She always assumed it was because he didn't like her much or maybe because he thought they had nothing in common, but she never pressed him. Always concerned about his feelings and comfort, the youngest girl of the team would never do anything to upset the genius. He had so much already on his mind. 

That day, they had walked to her house in complete silence. (Y/N) knew better than to say anything, afraid she might give away her feelings. She had trouble keeping things for herself, and if Spencer were anyone else, she'd have already asked him out, told him she wanted to pursue a relationship outside of work. But he was so... _him_ , that she kept her feelings a secret, worried she'd scare him off for good. Which was why she spent most of time trying to repress those feelings, attributing them to a simple and easily forgettable work crush.

So they walked together in silence, and it was only when it started raining, and they started running, that he said something. Spatting some facts about raining and precipitation and odds, and (Y/N) couldn't help but be amazed at him, her eyes sparkling, hanging at his every word. 'It's now,' she thought. 'I'm gonna tell him now.' But then he smiled at her at her doorstep, stared at her eyes so intensely -so much so she could see from his eyes his brain was working at a fast speed-, and said goodbye, hastily making his way back to the street. (Y/N) decided, again, she wouldn't say a thing and would try not to force her presence on him as much as she could. 

But he was sick now, and too stubborn to do anything about it, so (Y/N) convinced herself she would just take care of him and that would be it. After that, no more close contact between the two.

While he ate, she sat at his side, randomly opening one of the books on his bedside table. 

"Did you know that the author of this book-" Spencer began until she interrupted him with a "Shhhh". At his frown, (Y/N) chuckled. 

"Don't get me wrong, Reid. I love learning new things from you, but you need to keep quiet for your throat to heal," she said, seeing his pout disappear. He mumbled inaudibly, probably upset at the fact that he shouldn't be speaking but still abiding by (Y/N)'s suggestion. 

They continued that way, him eating his dinner and her reading sitting beside the doctor, completely unaware. 

Unaware of the fact that he hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her for one second, even managing to burn his tongue in the hot soup. Unaware of what was going on in the genius' brain, of his thoughts of how domestic that whole scene seemed. Unaware that the only thing on his mind was that was all he wanted out of life. Unaware of the pure love that was radiating from his eyes at that very moment. 

"You're leaving?," he asked, the minute she stood up. The adoration and dependence in his voice didn’t escape Spencer, who started scolding himself in his mind. (Y/N) noticed it too, but attributed it to him being sick. When people are sick, they had the tendency to feel quite dependent. That was it. 

She smiled. “I’m just gonna go get my phone,” (Y/N) said, and left his room. She reached for her bag on Spencer’s couch and took out her phone, reading a funny text Garcia had sent her along with a cute cat gif. 

The doctor had been eyeing her carefully through the crack on his door, feeling a bit weird seeing her laugh at something he couldn't see. It was this bitter sensation, accompanied by a lot of anger. He hated this feeling, and he learned soon enough after realizing he was absolutely in love with his coworker that it was jealousy. He didn’t like it one bit, but the alternative was to confess her his feelings, and that seemed a lot worse. As much as he hated jealousy, he also didn’t like rejection. 

“Did you take the cough medicine yet?,” she yelled from the kitchen, making herself some coffee. 

Spencer smiled. She was making coffee, which meant she was going to spend some time with him, she wasn’t going anywhere anytime. At that point, he felt victorious, comparing himself to the person who had made her laugh, as if he had won a competition. It was a bad feeling that made him feel good. “No, where is– oh, found it!” He looked at his bedside table, not having noticed before that she had put there all the medicine the doctor had prescribed Spencer, a few cough drops, a lot of water and tissues. He was so busy looking at her he barely noticed anything else. He smiled, elated at the feeling of being taken care of, he, who's so used to taking care of people. And by (Y/N), of all people. 

When she sat next to him again, coffee in hand, Spencer was starting to feel even more drowsy from the medicine he had just taken, adding to the ones he had taken before. 

“You ok there, buddy?,” (Y/N) asked, laughing quietly at his droopy eyes.

“Allllll goood, bud-dy.” He elongated his words, obviously very high on his meds.

“Ok, let’s get you settled, sweetie.” (Y/N) took the tray from him and went to kitchen, splashing some water on them and deciding she would wash them later. When she got back, Spencer was giggling. “What?,” she chuckled.

“You called me ‘sweetie’.” Spencer giggled again.

“I did,” (Y/N) blushed while rolling her eyes and sitting by his side. If he was high, he wouldn’t remember it anyway.

“I liked it.”

(Y/N) gave him a shy smile.

Spencer giggled again. A few seconds passed while they stared at each other, until he reached for her hand, sitting atop her lap. “Why do you do this?,” he asked, a frown on his face, a not so fleeting sad expression passing his features.

“What did I do?” (Y/N) shivered at his touch.

"There's an overwhelming amount of evidence that suggest you like me. Your pupils dilate, you tend to fidget a lot more with your hands when I'm around, your breath rate increases, not to mention your cheeks blush more when I'm near you. Did you know that human beings blush due to an evolutionary trait? It's supposed to mimic the orgasm effect where people get flushed." (Y/N) breath's hitched at his words, but he seemed none the wiser, so concentrated on the little speech his mind was working on.

"Reid..."

"And then you do this," he said, staring intently into her eyes, even though they were droopy. "You call me by my last name, for instance. That creates a distance. Not to mention you barely stand being near me, like always choosing a seat in the plane that's nowhere near close to mine." His expression was one of sadness. He looked at her hand and started caressing the back with his thumbs. (Y/N) could’ve sworn her heart literally skipped a beat. “As a profiler, it's really confusing. I can't tell if you like me or not," he said, closing his eyes for a little too long this time, his body ready to rest after a long day. 

All (Y/N) could think was that now was not the time for him to sleep. What did he mean by this conversation? The woman sitting next to him furrowed her brows, her mind going a million miles per hour thinking about what he had just said. Is he upset that she seems to like him? Or is he upset that she doesn't seem to like him? 

“I do like you, Reid," she said honestly. (Y/N) did like him, that much she could say without being too honest about her feelings. He was a great person, an impressive agent. How could she not like him? How could she not fall in love with him? With his eyes half closed, he looked at her, his brows furrowed.

"I don't mean... I mean, do you love me?" Spencer asked and he could see it. He was exhausted and sick and he could still see her breath getting caught in her throat, nervousness flashing through her eyes. "You're so much braver than I am, (Y/N)" he said, and yawned, his body needing the rest. "Please just... Just tell me."

"Tell you what?"

Spencer yawned one more time, adjusting himself on the bed and turning on his side, mumbling inaudibly.

“Reid?,” she called one more time, but he seemed to be fast asleep.

'Shit.'

(Y/N) chuckled lightly, too nervous to have any other reaction than laughing. 

"I am not brave at all, Spencer. I'm just straightforward. But you… You are brave, courageous. And yet I worry so much about you. there's something about you that makes me so scared, for you and for myself. All I'm trying to do is take care of your feelings. I do love you, Spencer, and that's why I'll never tell you this", she whispered. (Y/N) kissed his cheek and went back to the kitchen to start tidying things up.


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....yikes

When Spencer woke up the next day, he was feeling much better. His throat was practically healed, his nose wasn't as runny, and his body wasn't so sore anymore. He took a sip of the water at his bedside table. It took him a few seconds to remember that that cup of water was only there because of (Y/N), who had been at his home to take care of him, but he didn't remember much. Did she stay the night? His memories were fuzzy. That couldn't be a good sign.

He left his room looking for her, immediately seeing her still asleep on his couch. Spencer smiled, fighting the urge to remove a strand of hair that had fallen on her face. Seeing her like this, so worried about him, so concerned for his safety, it felt weird. Spencer knew she would always have his back, of course. They were FBI agents, their jobs were dangerous and they needed to trust each other on the field, and with their lives, no less.

But this, having her getting him soup and making sure he took his meds. That was pure bliss. Which is why he was having a hard time understanding why it was happening. While Spencer was making them some coffee, he wondered why the coworker who didn't really seem to like him, the one who was nothing more than a colleague, was the one currently sleeping at his place, having spent the night to look after him. The dishes from the day before were washed, his house was neat. She must have done that.

Why? Why was she there? As Spencer filled up two mugs with coffee, he pondered why the most reticent person in the team had been so worried about him to the point of coming to his home. He sat at the couch near her feet and waited.

\-----

It didn't take too long for the scent of coffee to work its magic on waking (Y/N) up. 

"Good morning," Spencer said offering her one of the coffee mugs. She took it from his hands without making a sound, too sleepy to even process anything. Spencer smiled at her disheveled hair and sleepy face.

"What?," she asked, feeling the burn of the warm liquid. Her raspy voice sounded a bit too rude.

"Nothing." He said quickly, returning to his serious self. After a moment of silence, Spencer spoke again. "I just wanted to thank you. For taking me home and, y'know."

"Of course, Reid. Anytime." She placed the mug on the coffee table and adjusted herself. Anytime, she had said, and that sounded like music to his ears. Until she finished her sentence. "We're partners, right? Everyone in the team will always look out for one another."

Spencer pursed his lips. "Right, yeah."

Another moment of silence went by, until (Y/N) spoke. "Anyway, I'm gonna go now. You're probably feeling a lot better."

"I am. Thanks."

(Y/N) smiled. "Sure. I mean, it was my fault you got sick."

"What do you mean?," Spencer asked, with a frown.

"You said yourself last night. You got sick after you walked me home in the rain, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I remember. I mean, the day of the rain. I don't remember much from last night. I think I was... How would Morgan say it? 'Out of it', yeah." He chuckled, fuzzy memories clouding his brain. Bits and pieces, here and there, and it was mostly of (Y/N)'s beautiful smiling face. But he couldn't be too sure that that was from last night. At any given moment, he'd be thinking about (Y/N)'s beautiful smiling face.

Her face fell. "Oh, you don't? That's... Yeah, that makes sense. You _were_ pretty out of it last night." (Y/N) tried to cover her disappointment with a chuckle. 

"Really? Oh, no. What did I say? Or do?," He asked, concerned he had said something stupid to (Y/N). Or something way too honest.

"Just a bunch of weird nonsensical stuff, really", (Y/N) quickly said. She got up and gathered her things, asking if she could use his bathroom before going home.

 

Spencer waited. He stared at a book that was supposed to be on his bedside table, that now sat at the center table in his living room. The one (Y/N) had ildly picked up while she waited for him to eat his dinner. Suddenly he remembered that, that she picked it up to read it, that she shushed him when he tried to tell her something about the author, that she had laughed at his disappointed face. It was slowly, but surely, coming back to him. Spencer opened the book and read it absentmindedly. He waited.

\-----

And that waiting feeling was being shared by those two lonely people in that apartment, Spencer waiting for (Y/N), always waiting for her, too scared to do anything but wait for her. And (Y/N) was waiting, but not for Spencer, no, because it was pointless waiting for someone who was never coming, someone who would never even leave to begin the journey to get where she was at. But she waited, nonetheless, for those feelings to go away, or at least subside. For someone else to show up and distract her. For a better opportunity away from the BAU, and Spencer.

But it was exhausting. It was a tiresome process to wait for something, to do nothing while actively dreaming about something all of the time. It was a long wait, too long, and while (Y/N) stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she couldn't help but think that maybe she had had enough of this. That it was all too much, having to care for him and take care of him while struggling with her own feelings. ‘If Spencer were anyone else, I’d have told him already,’ she thought to herself while she splashed some water on her face. In the back of her mind, she could hear a whisper: ‘Is Spencer were anyone else, you wouldn’t be feeling the way you’re feeling right now’.

She looked herself in the mirror and breathed slowly, trying to think of anything else but Spencer, and last night, and what looked like feelings being told for the very first time, but she couldn’t be sure, not at all, so she wouldn’t do anything. (Y/N) needed certainty. Walking in the dark was never her favorite thing, as she was afraid of it. Yes, beautiful things could be lurking in the dark, but beautiful things don’t usually lurk, ugly things do, and she was terrified of those ugly things. Rejection, mockery, inadequacy. They were all waiting for her in the dark. So the only way, really, to navigate life, was to be in the light, always in the light, as you can see everything that’s there and nothing is hidden and there are no surprises. Nothing is hidden. There are no surprises. She sighed once again and left the bathroom.

“Hey, Spencer,” she said, but he didn’t turn around. (Y/N) tilted her head slightly. “Spencer? Are you alright?”. She walked towards him and saw his face, his beautiful smiling face. Weirdo. Why was he smiling? Why were his cheeks so flushed? He just smiled more broadly when she got in front of him. “So, anyways… I’m gonna go. See you on Sunday?”

It took Spencer ten seconds to answer. “Um, yeah”. He still smiled like a dumb idiot. It was a dumb smile. A very cute, dumb smile. she gave him a tight-lipped smile and she had barely reached his door when she heard him again. “You’re gonna leave? I thought you had something to tell me. I thought you were straightforward… Right?”

“What?”

When she turned around, he was standing but a few feet from her, holding the book she was reading the night before. He put the book in the table in front of the couch and watched her again, that dumb smile on his face. “You don’t have to worry about me. And if you’re trying to take care of my feelings, you might be doing it the wrong way. Sorry, but it’s true.”

(Y/N) face went red. For the first time in her life, the decided, straightforward woman stuttered. “Wha–How are you–What are you… talking about? Weren’t you–You were asleep.”

“Did you know Swiss researchers actually found out that sleeping improves our ability to learn foreign languages? The science might be unclear as to the why, and I don’t mean to pull a Brave New World thing right now. I might have been still dozing off, that stuff was pretty powerful.” While Spencer gave his little speech, he approached her slowly. When he came face to face with her, he sighed. “You know what? Why am I telling you this? I have much more important things to say right now”.

So he did. By stroking her cheek. Putting a strand of hair behind her ear. Smiling that dumb smile until his lips reached hers and he was no longer smiling. But (Y/N) was.


End file.
